12+ Best Hiking Trails with Waterfalls in North Carolina (Photos+Map)

North Carolina comes with several gorgeous mountains, adventurous hiking opportunities & lush waterfalls. Not only it proves to be great road trip destination and romantic weekend getaways but you could also enjoy weekend vacations here.

Waterfalls with hiking trails are one of the fun, refreshing and blissful ways to explore nature. The excitement of exploring hiking trails with waterfalls is truly incredible.

Are you in search of best hiking trails with waterfalls in North Carolina? If yes, you have landed to the right place. Keep reading to know about these amazing trails in detail.

12+ Best Hiking Trails with Waterfalls in North Carolina

A waterfall at the hiking route makes every hike much sweeter. In start, it’s quite difficult to narrow down the list of best waterfall hikes in NC but we tried our best to compile the list of recommended ones. Let’s get started!

Here is a map of waterfalls in North Carolina!

1. Triple-Falls Trail

Triple-Falls Trail is known to be one of the famous & most visited trails in North Carolina. By name, this amazing trail includes 3 cascades and you could easily see these 3 cascades from trail. 4.3-km loop trail generally considered as moderately challenging route. There are various nearby parking areas but make sure to pay attention to “no parking” signs.

Length

• 4.3 km

Estimated Time

• 1 hour 11 min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

2. Crabtree Falls Trail

Beautiful & tallest trail alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway that shouldn’t be skipped at any cost. Crabtree Falls Trail is one of the best waterfalls in Nc that will let you enjoy stunning forest views.

Crabtree Falls Campground is the place where you can put your toes here as water level is not too high. Do not forget to enjoy lunch at Chalet Restaurant terrace in Little Switzerland.

Length

• 4.2 km

Estimated Time

• 1 hour 21 min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

3. Little Bradley Falls

Hike on the little Bradley Falls is easily accessible & you can easily cover without any difficulty. But if you want to hike on Big Bradley Falls, you must have a permit in your hand. Little Bradley Falls comes with small swimming area where you could swim.

The parking facility for this trail is not properly organized so if you want visit these falls, it is recommended to go earlier.

Length

• 3.1km

Estimated Time

• 57 min

Kid-Friendly

• No

4. Catawba Falls

Catawba Falls is easy access waterfalls in North Carolina & popular area for running and hiking. You can visit this trail during any month of the year without worrying about dreadful weather conditions.

In order to reach to Catawba Falls, you just need to hike just 2 miles roundtrip through a beautiful forest along the river.

Length

• 3.7 km

Estimated Time

• 1h 3min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

5. John Rock Trail

Classical Pisgah hike with simple nature trail for kids. John Rock Trail will immerse you with stunning natural views that’s look like a heaven’s paradise.

Visit to Fish Hatchery & Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is one of the amazing experiences you shouldn’t miss. While hiking on this trail, you could easily get washroom facilities.

Length

• 9.3 km

Estimated Time

• 2-3 hours

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

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6. Deep Creek Loop Trail

Deep Creek Loop Trail is one of the gorgeous waterfalls to swim in North Carolina. While hiking, you could explore wildlife in the form of deer, bears & small woodland mammals. This trail travels along a scenic creek with various cascades and waterfall. Nowadays, weather nearby the deep creek loop trail is cloudy.

Length

• 7.9 km

Estimated Time

• 2h 20 min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

7. High Shoals Falls

The High Shoals waterfalls itself is stunning along the river with adventurous hiking trail. The hiking trail is easy in start but it gets tougher when you get closer to the waterfall. Also, the trail is easy to follow with ultimate fun just because of having mesmerizing views besides waterfall. A huge parking lot is available but its almost full all the time.

Length

• 60-foot

Estimated Time

• 50 min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

8. Lake Johnson East Loop Trail

Lake Johnson Nature Park is one of the best Waterfalls near Raleigh, NC. Also, this trail is popular among tourists just because of various activities like mountain biking, bird watching, hiking and road biking. The paved portion of this waterfall trail is more traveled that goes through the woods along the lake and across the dam.

Length

• 4.5 km

Estimated Time

• 58 min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

9. Stone Mountain Loop Trail

Adventurous trail takes you to the top of the mountain where you could easily capture stunning views from above. Stone Mountain Loop Trail features 15 miles of hiking & walking trails with various difficulty levels. From the Upper Trailhead, you have to do short hike to reach the loop trail & walk down past Stone Mountain Falls.

Length

• 7.9 km

Estimated Time

• 2h 25min

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

10. Cullasaja Falls

Wanna experience more challenging & technical waterfall hike? Look no further than Cullasaja Falls in North Carolina. Cullasaja Falls is located in Nantahala National Forest. If you truly want to enjoy technical hike experience, must go to the base falls for an exhilarating adventure. But one thing to clear that it’s not a good spot for swimming.

Length

• 2.5 to 3 miles

Estimated Time

• 1 h 18 min

Kid-Friendly

• No

11. Dry Falls

Nearby Dry falls, there various other stunning falls named as Bridal Veil Falls, Glen Falls, and Secret Falls. The best part about Dry Falls is that you can easily walk underneath but it’s difficult to swim here. There’s a small parking lot nearby Dry Falls but it usually fills up in short time. So, if you don’t want to face this mess, try to visit earlier.

Length

• 5.6 km

Estimated Time

• Around 1h

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

12. Looking Glass Falls

Located just 45 minutes Southwest of Asheville in Brevard and is super easy to access. Swimming is totally allowed at Looking Glass Falls so you can easily swim underneath the waterfalls.

The photogenic views urge you to capture stunning views while standing beside the waterfall. There is a roadside parking available.

Length

• 0.3 miles long

Estimated Time

• 7 minutes to complete

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

13. Yellow Creek Falls

One of the easiest trails to follow just because of navigated uphill sections & roots. Chill and pristine mountain water let you enjoy swimming to the fullest whatever your age is. Along the park’s first hike, you can easily see the some of the cascades through side trails. Best for enjoying great picnic and book reading.

Length

• 0.7 miles

Estimated Time

• 23 minutes to complete

Kid-Friendly

• Yes

Wrapping Up!

North Carolina is a waterfall plus hiking enthusiast’s paradise! With countless cascades widespread throughout its diverse landscapes, there’s a perfect hike for everyone. From easy strolls to challenging treks, these are the 12+ best hiking trails with waterfalls in North Carolina.

So, lace up your boots, grab your camera, and go on a journey to discover the magic of North Carolina’s waterfalls! Do not forget to follow safety precautions earlier to make your journey safe, unforgettable & wonderful.

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